Other Statements

Mr. President,

I have the honor to address you by virtue of Cuba´s presidency of ECLAC and the Forum on Sustainable Development for Latin America and the Caribbean.

We are fulfilling the mandate to report on the results of the Second Meeting of this Forum, held last April in Santiago de Chile, as a contribution of our region to the High-Level Political Forum.  

Mr. President,

Cuba associates itself with the statements made by Egypt on behalf of the G77 and Maldives on behalf of the Small Island Developing States.

We welcome the convening of this timely high-level event to launch the International Decade for Action "Water for Sustainable Development", 2018-2028.

The issue of water is at the heart of human survival. As it is wisely asserted: "Water is Life". Access to this resource is a human right whose full enjoyment by all is an objective yet to be reached.

Mr. Chairman,

We are deeply grateful for the convening of this meeting in such difficult times for the countries affected by the destructive hurricanes Irma and Maria.

The increasingly devastating and frequent brunt of natural disasters confirms that climate change is a threat to the survival of humanity and to the sustainable development of peoples.

The recent passage of hurricanes Irma and Maria through the Caribbean region demonstrated once again the vulnerabilities of Small Island Developing States in the face of natural events of this magnitude.

Dear friends of the Solidarity Movement with Cuba in the United States;

Dear brothers and sisters of the diplomatic missions to the United Nations who have joined us in this special occasion;

Once again, I wish to reiterate what we have said on many occasions, when we referring to the figure of the Historical Leader of the Cuban Revolution: We will never be able to speak about Fidel in the past tense. I’m sure this is the feeling of everyone gathered here today.